Leonard Shanks

LEONARD SHANKS, 78 PASSES AWAY SUNDAY

Leonard H. Shanks, 78 year old resident of Ontonagon, passed away at 11:30 Sunday morning, July 12 at the Ontonagon Memorial Hospital. He had been in failing health since April and was hospitalized for the past 31 days.

He was born at Castlewood, South Dakota on October 28, 1880 and moved to Greenwood, Clark County, Wisconsin with his parents as a boy. He attended the schools there then went to Mellen, Wis. as a young man where he resided for 32 years. He was married there to Violetta Lashua on November 23, 1901.

A carpenter by trade, he was also an accomplished cabinet maker.

Mr. Shanks was a faithful member of the Methodist Church. He was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In his younger days he was an accomplished cornet player, and while in Mellen he directed the City Band for a number of years.

The Shanks family came to Ontonagon in 1934 and he was employed as a millwright for the Gorman Lumber Company until his retirement. Mrs. Shanks preceded him in death on June 27, 1955.

Surviving are three sons, Verne of Iron Mountain, Mich., Leonard of West Allis, Wis., and Jack of Ontonagon one daughter, Mrs. Norman (Fern) Jones of Ontonagon eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

His body was taken to the Driscoll Funeral Home where friends paid their respects.

Funeral services were held at 1:30 on Wednesday afternoon from the Ontonagon Methodist Church. The Rev. Ardo A. Carmitchel officiated and burial was beside the body of his wife in the family lot of the Riverside Cemetery.

The pallbearers were Charles Hill, Earl Doyle, Thomas Lockart, Henry Huber, William Schober and Morris Myren.

Out of town relatives here for the funeral included Mr. and Mrs. Verne Shanks and daughter, Sandy and Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Shanks of Iron Mountain, Michigan Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Shanks and family of West Allis, Wis.

Source: Ontonagon Herald, Ontonagon, Michigan (1959)